Growth
by Shen Gong Who
Summary: Between her impending wedding, raising a baby, and her surprise shift in career Blossom comes to the conclusion that life never seems to go as you're created for.


**I apologize some places are dialogue heavy. But whateves, long hair don't care.**

 **This took forever oh my god, no one stopped me. This is horrible. I also do not have anyone Beta my trash, just myself and my shit writing skills.**

 **Companion piece to Misconceptions but stands alone.**

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 _Dip yourselves lower! Keep your hips forward and your back straight! Your knees should never pass your feet! Don't forget to breathe!_

The last one she thought to be redundant until she glanced about the group noticing the other moms in the class becoming a vibrant red in the face. Was she that red? She could have sworn she had been breathing. Inhale, exhale, repeat. Stretching her leg out a tad further to deepen the lunge, Blossom winced slightly. Never mind still a bit sore. The instructor continued to give them pointers, sometimes expressing to a specific mother what they needed to work on. Her individualized tip had been to acknowledge where her limits were and when to stop pushing herself too far.

Which was ludicrous, she was a superhero for fucks sake. She didn't have limits – if she had limits the city would have been leveled twenty years ago.

But the chipper instructor regularly reminded her that her body was still in the recovery phase.

She dipped once more trying to lengthen out her lunge. Foregoing the ache in her thigh, she forced herself to hold the position for at least ten seconds. Her powers had come back about two weeks after she gave birth but they were nowhere near the strength she once had. Every now and then she'd get a tremendous burst of power akin to when she was first created and she'd accidentally destroy something - kind of like the door to the pediatrician's office when she attempted to knock.

Her powers had been gradually working their way back up to what they were prior to her getting pregnant. She could now close the trunk in the car Brick somehow acquired for them and not snap the metal in half. She could hover in the air and not become a pancake on the pavement. Hell, she could now control her ice breath long enough to freeze the floor of their apartment and have Landon in his bouncer skate around with her.

Albeit her pre-baby figure had yet to make its welcomed return. She lost most of the baby weight but in certain spots, the blasted excess weight had found what looks like a permanent residence.

Which is how she found herself here: in an exercise course for new moms and their babies in their strollers. And who cared if her friends and family thought it was strange. She got to spend time with her wonderful babe and attempt to get back to her peak human shape.

And dammit she wanted her body back!

Bubbles had "happened upon" the class a few times which ultimately ended up with her cooing over Landon and all the other babies in the class. The course took place in a small park down the road from Pokey Oaks. Buttercup had come with her dressed in similar workout leggings and tank top as herself pushing Blossom to go just a little further with her lunges, a little longer with her chair sits, a little deeper with her squats. Thankfully Buttercup had never shown up in her typical workout garb she wore during tactical training days which consisted of leggings and a sports bra. Her sister's flat, toned stomach would without a doubt become a subject of envy.

She ignored Janet and the other 'super mommies' as they called themselves who took up the whole pathway, each mommy having to be in a line one beside the other as they chatted and performed each skill simultaneously. She ignored the ravings about Janet's prodigy baby and how he'd be the first one to say a word - _he's almost there._ _With all the sounds he's been toying with we just know he's going to say something any day now!_ \- and she focused her energy on regulating her breathing.

Landon would be the first one to say a word. No superhuman baby would be beat out by that she-beast's offspring.

From his throne known as his stroller, Landon gurgled happily to his stuffed chimpanzee. A toy Mojo hated whenever he nibbled on the feet. Her happy baby would be the best in the class.

Dropping onto a bench, Blossom checked on her son. Brushing back his wild strawberry blond curls, she blew a raspberry on his cheek enticing a shriek of joy. Rose pink eyes slightly darker than her eye stared up at her alight with delight. Definitely the best.

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"So." Bubbles started, dragging out the vowel. "Where you two going for your honeymoon and how long do I get to babysit that perfect little ball of cuteness?"

Blossom let out a sigh. She and Brick had gone over their desire to not do anything post wedding with their family several times. Blossom pretended to be more interested in the spaghetti strapped v-neck dress she slipped back onto the rack than her sister's comment; it would never fit her chest. Damn, that was cute. "You know fully well that we are not going on a honeymoon. Maybe one day down the line Brick and I will travel somewhere more exotic than Farmville but as of right now my honeymoon is going home after Dad's dinner with my two favorite men and enjoying a peaceful night."

Bubbles seemed dissatisfied with her answer opting to pay more attention to her phone than Blossom herself. A small smile played on Bubbles' lips as she quickly began typing.

Her youngest sister had literally just started talking to some cute dirty blond high school teacher Bubbles met at a district wide conference. Buttercup and Blossom had been referring to him as High School Sweetheart behind Bubbles' back for neither of them could remember his name. The pair had a quote unquote instantaneous connection over the salad bar. Bubbles had been hoping to set up a date soon enough to keep him interested but not too soon to scare him off. The fundraiser was two days ago; according to Bubbles, she's currently residing in flirtation limbo.

Maybe she was finally getting that long (two day) awaited date. Because solving where one stood with a potential love interest was definitely more important than pestering older sisters about their non-existent honeymoon skills. At least in Blossom's eyes that was.

Blossom and Brick had come to the mutual decision that holding off on a honeymoon would be the smartest option. Landon, though they were slowly introducing the cutie pie to solid foods was still as Butch had _loving_ said referred to it as 'on the tit'. Meaning she still couldn't be away from her baby for too long. She had yet to return to a full-time position at her job since her maternity leave ended and if she took any more time off they may as well just let her go and she might as well just kiss her application for a paralegal with Legal Aide goodbye.

Brick's job currently had been going through a change in management.

His boss, who wished to retire by the end of the following year, sought to name Brick the owner of his little mechanic's shop - Brick's three joyriding charges as a kid and the GTA he was convicted of at seventeen weighing heavily on the final decision. The shop consisted of several rehabilitated criminals that had found employment with a reformed con. Brick's boss had been out for twenty years and made a name for himself due to the kindness of an elderly mechanic looking passed his history. A thought he had passed on to those who came to work for him. He had several employees, several older than Brick with more experience but her fiance happened to be the owner's favorite and prior to them having Landon, Brick worked all hours of the night for him. Yet Brick happened to be the only one employed at the shop with a rap sheet including automotive crimes.

(Crimes he may or may not, because she could neither confirm nor deny, still be committing.)

Between the baby, making sure she still had an income and proving her criminal baby daddy was a decent human being capable of running an automotive shop, she didn't have time to pack up and jet off to some more than likely warm, more than likely sunny, more than likely perfect place.

"What about Bora Bora? I hear it's the number one honeymoon spot." Scrolling through something on her phone, Bubbles head shout up, "Or do you prefer Palawan, Philippines?"

Confused, Buttercup glanced over Bubbles' shoulder trying to get a glimpse of what she was perusing. Smirking, Buttercup turned back to Blossom. "Palawan is fudging beautiful. If I ever somehow agree to the archaic institution that is marriage, I'm on the first flight to the fudging place. That is if one of you hasn't killed me or institutionalized me for going mad first." Thank fuck Buttercup censored herself in front of Landon. Her biggest fear is his first word being a swear because Butch couldn't watch his fucking mouth around her fucking kid.

Her two sisters shared a knowing look, Buttercup even letting out a not very inconspicuous whistle. What were her sisters up to? She didn't like being the dot outside the loop. She strongly loathed it. She preferred to be nice and snug inside said loop.

"Maybe Puerto Rico? A quiet, leisurely escape in Havana?" Bubbles continued scrolling through her phone, listing off an array of exotic places Blossom has never been and probably never will be. Havana sounded heavenly.

Where had her sister complied such a list? Never mind she probably did a quick search online for several best honeymoon spots in a vain attempt to have her change her mind. Regardless of what her youngest sister thought, she and Brick were making a smart move. Financially they weren't ready nor was it fair to Landon for his parents to jet off while he's still only a few months old.

Sighing, Blossom headed towards the shorts section. She no longer fit into her previous short sizes so she should probably try the clothes on prior to purchasing them. From his perch on her hip, Landon began making R sounds again. Right, no trying on clothes right now.

Her baby was a genius and he is going to be the first one in the class to talk. Janet could suck it.

She found a cute pair of jean shorts and held them up to herself. To buy or not to buy? She would more than likely end up adjusting the pair every so often due to it riding up but it was a cute, blush pink color and it didn't cost her arm. She opted to place the pair back on the rack, maybe another time.

"I know you have always partial to Bali and your Bali Fund jar sat collecting quarters and dust. Maybe it's time to live out that fantasy and crack that bad boy open." Buttercup offered sheepishly. Looks like both sisters thought she was making the wrong decision. "Celebrate your honeymoon, even if it's for a weekend, and let us worry about any responsibilities you have here. It took a bit to get to where you two are now. May as well revel in it."

Blossom went to argue but Buttercup held up a hand in defense, "We did the physical protecting of the city while you were out on maternity leave. You may have been on the sidelines 'coaching' us on what to due via earpiece. We're both still alive."

Going to Bali, especially with her newly dubbed husband, was a fantasy Blossom gave up on in high school. The residents of the city, while she loved them dearly, could not take care of any problem on their own and Blossom would not subject her sisters to barring the weight of super-heroine work alone just for her to spirit away to some beautiful place whose white beaches she constantly dreamed of walking along. She shook her head no. She couldn't do that to them. With a huff of annoyance, Buttercup tested a pair of black high-waisted shorts against herself. She seemed to approve of the style, draping it over her forearm alongside her three other choices.

Her middle sister then held out a baby blue pair of fabric shorts littered with large white polka dots for Bubbles but shook her head placing it back on the rack, "Cute but not even slightly knocked down. Come on, give me the sales."

Landon seemed too enraptured with the knob at the end of the clothing rack to pay heed to what was going on around him. He leaned forward, hands already grasping the piece of metal when Blossom took a step back. "No baby. That is a Petri dish of germs. Don't give me that look. Oh no, please don't cry. Look I have toys in my bag." Blossom hurriedly dug into the diaper bag resting in the bottom of the stroller for a toy that would appease Landon. His bottom lip wiggling.

Oh fuck where were his- his stuttering lip halting when his pink eyes fell on a small stuffed lion. Happily, he began nibbling on the paw. Running a hand through his thick locks, Blossom placed her son back into his stroller. "You're probably going to be cursed with a mane of hair just like your lion and just like your parents."

"I'm partial to Tokyo if you were wondering." Bubbles shared from behind one of the sales racks, her eyes still glued to her phone's screen. "Maybe stay in a Ryokan. Or maybe visit a private onsen; just me, my husband and the hot spring." Her eyes left the screen to glance between Buttercup and Blossom. "Think I can get Devon to marry me solely so we can stay in a bunch of Ryokans as we island hop, even though we're not official?"

 _His name's Devon, note to self. High School Sweetheart is named Devon._

Walking towards the dressing rooms, Buttercup let out a loud laugh. "You could always just vacation there instead of paying for an extravagant wedding." Bubbles shrugged before going back to texting. "I also have no clue what a Ryokan is so no."

"Bali is nice too I guess, whatever floats your iceberg." Rude.

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Walking down the boardwalk, Blossom smiled as the sun beat down on her – a beautiful day mixed in with the freezing temperatures the news deemed "spring" that found her coat tucked below in the stroller's storage basket. Landon babbled happily to himself hidden under the drawn sunshade dressed in a light fire engine red coat. She was not chancing the weather with her baby, no she was not. Not with everyone getting sick. She did not know the extent of his superhuman antibodies and she did not want to test them. Nor was she going to have him sweating to death.

Not too far down the boardwalk stood the original Hot Dog on a Skewer. The line outside of the walk-up window dwindling. She could go for a hot dog.

"You hungry pumpkin? Mama's hungry and she packed you a surprise for lunch." He squealed (more than likely at nothing) in response.

Obtaining two of their famous Hot Dogs on a Skewer, Blossom brought the pair over to an empty picnic table, "I made a puree of pears this time. I know you were getting tired of apples and bananas. Figured time to spice it up. What do we want next time we introduce you to new foods? Apricots? Or maybe we live adventurously and try papayas? I feel like you're a steak and papayas kind of baby."

Landon gurgled happily, producing a long drawn out R sound. "No baby the 'mmmm' sound. Mama, mmmm."

He continued to make the R sound over and over, as well as a few other garbled sounds. He was going to say Mama before Janet's drooling blob of a son. Her baby was a superhuman and no super powered baby would be beaten out by that blond terror and her son!

Who was actually kind of cute, just not in proper control of his exocrine glands. Well less than the usual baby's control over salivary gland production.

"Blossom?" Never had she heard that high-pitched shrill in such a soft tone. Most of their conversations (read: arguments) escalated to the other's voice becoming piercing to the point of either choosing to become deaf or let her win. Twisting in her seat to get a glance behind her, Blossom took note of the small, lithe form of the city's most destructive Daddy's Girl. "Your hair's gotten longer since the last time we spoke."

Throwing a bowl of hot soup on someone tends to make them less inclined to seek someone out for casual banter. A few years back, in the middle of a quiet soup and sandwich shop Princess stormed over to the table Blossom and her sisters claimed. She went on a rant about stealing other people's property and the consequences for it then tossed Blossom's seafood bisque onto her lap. Thankfully she had CX in her system and it was working fine preventing any burns.

Any other time the pair had run into each other there were no words spoken. Even amidst battle.

"I am sorry about the last time I actually spoke to you. I never had a chance to apologize, I've been under house arrest for a while." The other motioned towards her now barren ankle.

Wait, Princess was apologizing? She couldn't recall a time when the other had shown even the tiniest smidge of remorse for her transgressions. Well except when she'd try to lessen her sentences by appearing sorry for what she had done. The woman approached, nervously playing with the hem of her black leather skater skirt. Taking a few breaths, Princess let go of her fabric clutch and glanced down at the stroller where Landon sat babbling to his toes. "I've heard so much about him. He's all his uncles talk about - well and obviously his dad whenever he agrees to a job. I feel like I know everything about him already." Princess took a few small steps before sitting opposite Blossom, her golden irises never leaving their fixed point on the stroller.

"When Butch first let it slip you were pregnant with Brick's kid I thought it was a joke. A horribly painful joke. Blossom having a kid before marriage? And with the guy created literally to bring about her end? Never in a million years did I see that. Me, on the other hand, getting knocked up sounded more probable. With the way I acted the last two years of college -" Her voice trailed off but the unspoken words hung between them. _After he left her_. Blossom braced herself for the oncoming verbal assault - if her son wasn't there she assumed it would be a cocktail of three parts physical, one part verbal. Though it never came.

Princess glanced down at her fingernails, which were for once not done in her signature golden stiletto nails. Since discovering the magic that is acrylic nails a month prior to their fifth grade graduation dance, Princess' nails have never been that short.

"I'm selfish and spoiled and a whole slew of synonymous S words." Princess' eyes crinkled humorously as they turned to look at her for the first time, "Like the alliteration?" Giving her a small smile, Blossom gestured for her to continue. T be honest, she didn't know what to do in this situation. "I wasn't sugar, spice, and everything nice. I was the byproduct of 'a snotty couple who overindulged their snotty little girl.' I believe that's what someone wrote in my high school yearbook. Harry maybe? No, he was in my English courses; had to get tutoring to spell easier words than overindulge. Maybe your friend Mike?" Blossom shrugged in response.

 _It was Mike but she wasn't going to bring him into their conversation just to be thrown under a bus._

Princess brushed back a loose curl that fell in front of her eyes. Her perm looked good on her; better than the one she got in 10th grade. That one had made her hair too big for her head.

"Out of everyone I tormented, I was always the worst to you. There were only two things I couldn't have and I blamed you for both. I made peace with both things and in turn you. In hindsight, there was really no need to make peace, for I was the only one in this feud for a majority of the time." Princess' hands went to pull the hem of her simple white crop top down, adjusting it for something to do with her hands. Was the other nervous?

"Five year old me wanted to be a Powerpuff Girl more than a girl wants her safety bundle of hundreds when being tucked in for bed." Princess then stopped and looked almost sheepish, "I mean a safety blanket or a teddy bear? I don't believe many young girls had their dad handing them money to ensure they go to sleep." Her dad gave her money for her to go to sleep? Had he given her the same bundle each night? If not, that would total over three and a half million if he supplied a new wad of cash each night for a year.

Damn, must be nice.

"I wanted to be a Powerpuff Girl more than Susie Jenkins wanted a nose job for her sixteen birthday? That sounds more reasonable, right? Girl practically begged to anyone any chance she got for a nose job. Anyway, I wanted it more than anything. But there you were in all your pint-sized glory telling me it didn't work like that; that someone didn't just buy their way into herodom. Which b. t. dubs Batman totally did." Princess let out a small, dry laugh, her eyes drifting down the boardwalk as if searching for something. Slowly they panned back to Blossom, golden eyes boring into her rose gold colored ones.

"I hated you with everything I had all because you wouldn't let me join you and your sisters in fighting crime. Naturally I turned to the one thing my five year old mind thought of to get back at you: committing said crime. I wanted you to pay for making me feel so inadequate. I sought anything and everything. Whether it be money, clothes, property, you name it I wanted it. My greed became my driving force; obtain everything I could get my hands on to ease being denied something else. Soon my hatred for you and your sisters, but let's be honest my hatred was mainly geared towards you, faded." Princess began fiddling with a knot on the picnic table's surface. "I found I thoroughly enjoyed villainy and I like to think I'm decently good at it; better than most criminals who wreaked havoc on the city. You thwarting me from being a Powerpuff Girl led me to who I am today. You may not be so happy about it but I sought to live my life satisfying every desire I had.

"Then came the second time you inadvertently stole my happiness from me." Princess' eyes glanced back down at Landon, her golden irises dimming as her eyebrows furrowed. Blossom wanted to reach out and turn the stroller around preventing Princess from looking inside - at the being who was an accessory after the fact to the inadvertent ruining her happiness. "I came home in eighth grade informing my father I was in love and would be needing The Ring. My great-grandfather bought it, then his wife passed it on to her first born son, his wife passed it on to their first born son who happened to be my dad and seeing as I'm the only born, naturally I would get it." Blossom brought her hands into her lap with the weight of Princess' gaze now on her fourth digit of her left hand.

"It's a beauty. A platinum band with a flawless, colorless five carat diamond which just so happens to be in the princess cut. It's the most expensive engagement ring I have ever seen. It's the greatest treasure in my family's possession and at thirteen I knew I wanted my father to give it to Brick in a few years."

Blossom's ring was perfect; an unknown karat rose gold band, a round cut rose quartz gemstone slightly under a carat and two smaller rose quartz gemstones on each side set into the band.

(Brick thought he was funny.)

"Brick didn't love me. Hell, he-" Princess' eyes widened after realizing what she had said, hurriedly apologizing for cursing in front of her baby, "He didn't really like me all that much either. His attention was always... _elsewhere_." Princess' voice trailed off, her eyes then snapped up to meet Blossom's.

"Remember that stupid Sadie Hawkins they did once in ninth grade? I planned on asking him during lunch one time to be my date. I noticed him glaring at something specific, you know not just his face in its perpetual glare. This glare read that something truly pissed him off. Took a moment but I realized in the crowded cafe what he was glaring at. He was glaring at you. Originally, I thought it was because you know, your relationship at the time had been an endless cycle of animosity. But then I realized you were flirting, legit flirting, with some cute sophomore and that Brick's glare wasn't because of you being you. No, it was because you were flirting with someone else. Someone who wasn't him. From that day, I knew I was on the losing side of a battle you didn't even know we were fighting, yet each day I was hopeful the tides of war would turn in my favor.

"Then senior year happened and you two fooled around a couple times and I-" her voice trailed off once more.

Princess knew?! No one knew! Not even their siblings knew!

The two of them had been attending a party at Princess' mansion separately one night senior year. Her ex had been pissing her off, trailing her about the party trying to get her to change her mind on their relationship status; Brick was pissed he would be graduating in two months still a virgin and neither of his brothers would leave him be. They figured they could help each other. He'd leave a mark on her neck as a sign for her ex to finally get the point _that they broke up and she was not interested in his petty, cheating ass._ Meanwhile, she'd strip him of his title as sole Virgin Ruff. They devised separate reasons as to why they both happened to disappear at the same time and then they were to never speak of the incident again. But then it happened four more times. Four more times where the two of them concocted alibis as to what they were doing at the time when they were in fact doing someone- _something_! -else. None of their siblings or friends had seen through their smoke screen. That first night, Blossom had invented an attractive senior student from Citiesville visiting his friends here in town. She had used faces she saw in passing at the party to create the lucky male credited to the marks that littered her neck. A lie she would mimic each time; crafting the perfect specimen for her deceit from a mixture of party-goers' features.

Brick brazenly told his brothers each hook-up had been with some rando whose name he didn't remember. Ass. He's her ass now but still. Ass.

"You guys weren't very subtle so you can stop looking surprised. You _just so happened_ to head into one of the halls to 'go to the bathroom'-" Princess used her fingers to form air quotes around her words "around the same time Brick did and an hour later I see you near the drinks, a bite mark now on your collarbone. You may have oozed the persona of Mary Poppins, the whole 'practically perfect in every way', but no one is as perfect as seventeen year old as you came off. Captain of the volleyball team, best mock trial attorney, president of the chemistry club and of course leader of our humble city's trio of superheroes. You were bound to slip up. Apparently I was the only one to notice."

Landon gurgled from his spot, grabbing at the spoon she had pulled out for his lunch. Right, she was going to find him the pear puree she whipped up. Pulling the small canister from her baby bag, she gestured towards Landon, silently asking if it were okay to feed him whilst they conversed. Nodding slowly, Princess took one final glance down at Landon. Two small tears glistening as they formed in the corner of Princess eyes concurrent with the lump forming in Blossom's throat.

"I did love him." Princess whispered, her voice beginning to falter. Her eyelids rapidly fluttering to rid the tears before they fell. "For so long. Too long. I hoped when he and I started dating he would want me and me alone. But he didn't. He just wanted someone to pass the time with; two years of dating that seemed more like a fling to him than an actual relationship. I told myself so many times he'd give up on you but it's hard to get over someone when you won't even admit to yourself you liked them and just internalize it. Two years of me falling more and more for a man who basically just wanted a casual thing. I blamed you for too long for something you had no control of, I had no control of - heck even the red haired idiot had no control of." Princess' voice cracked slightly as she let out a halfhearted laugh. "I treated you like sh-scum." She quickly changed her choice in words, "All over a guy. I am so sorry - not for the villainy thing, I'm most definitely going to keep doing that, but my treatment of you over someone not wanting me." Clipping her sentence, Princess gazed at something over her shoulder. She sent a small smile and held up her pointer finger, miming to give her a moment. Her smile faltered slightly. Slowly, her hand gestured out for Blossom to take. "I hope you will let me try to make amends for my behavior these past few years." With a small, humbled smile Princess stood from her seat and excusing herself telling them to enjoy the rest of their lunch.

Turning in her seat, spoon laden with pear puree, Blossom took notice of a short female a little ways down the boardwalk, the skirt of her light purple skater dress billowing about at her knees. Thick, black curls, bouncing about her shoulder as she neared Princess, extending her hand out for the woman to take. Was that Clara? Gone were her signature round frame glasses. Princess glanced over her shoulder, sending a small smile once more as she led the other from the boardwalk.

Did Princess really apologize for being jealous of her relationship with Brick or was she hallucinating?

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She hardly recognized her reflection staring back at her. The tips of both of their fingers reaching to touch the cold glass of the mirror being the only link between herself and her reflection. But that couldn't be her, could it? The woman in the reflection's hair fell in lovely beach waves and her makeup had been kept to neutral hues accenting her pale skin. The woman's soft peach lips parted in awe in sync with her own. The soft fabric of her dress perfectly hugged her form, gently fanning out near her hips towards a high low hem starting a few inches above the knees down to her upper calves. A layer of sheer white lace decorated in a subtle floral pattern covered the dress and hung a few inches longer than the hem. A lavender sash tied to her waist. Her fingers then moved from the glass to brush along the dress' sweetheart neckline and up the spaghetti strap on her left shoulder. That couldn't be her, could it? There was no way.

That had to be some other redhead with rose colored eyes. Colored contacts were on the rise, that could be anyone really. While glancing over her shoulder to find the woman whose reflection this actually was, she spotted her sisters coming from the fitting rooms. In unison, they both took in a sharp breath at the woman in the mirror. That woman did look breathtaking.

"Dad's going to cry." Buttercup mumbled taking slow strides towards her, "Hell, I may cry."

"I already am." Bubbles smiled, wiping the tears forming in the corners of her eyes. "You look magnificent. It's such an unappreciated adjective but honestly, absolutely magnificent." Bubbles had to have been talking about the other woman because there was no way this was her. The woman before her was beautiful. It tucked its hair behind its ear when she did, it bit its bottom lip when she did but they were in no way the same.

Her sisters approached the platform beside her, each wearing silver open-toed heels and donning the cute lavender knee-length dresses she found on sale at some department store. She had wanted to know what her wedding would partially look like. Her in her wedding dress and her sisters, who would be witnesses to the event, standing beside her in their dresses. She really loved the lace leading from their sweetheart necklines to the band around the base of their necks. Standing beside her sisters like this made it almost believable that the woman in the reflection was her and that this would be what her wedding half looked like - Brick and his brothers rounding out the rest.

But it couldn't be her, she paled in comparison to this woman's looks.

They were having fourteen people attend their wedding. Everyone who mattered would be in the courtroom as she and Brick became husband and wife and the same fourteen people would be convening at her childhood home for an intimate dinner her father asked to make.

"You know this dress makes my ass- uh, butt look great." Buttercup started, throwing a sheepishly apologetic look to the glaring woman examining Blossom's dress. "Best part of a bridesmaid's dress is the ability to wear it again right? I could always just wear this to work one day. Make the jerk regret his decision to ghost me."

"If you do, I think anyone who walks through the bar's doors will realize he's an idiot." Bubbles mumbled, walking to stand in between Blossom and the other woman. She gently brushed Blossom's hair from behind her ear to fall over her shoulders. "I swear I better look as breathtaking for my wedding."

"To what man? You and whatshisface? You two literally went on a single date."

 _Devon? His name was Devon right?_

"Excuse me, three dates." Bubbles turned a glare towards their middle sister. "Oh, and we went to breakfast this morning so make that four." Bubbles defended, emphasizing her point by sticking out her tongue. Apparently, whatever it was between the two of them was true love, even if it was only four dates. One for each week they've known each other. "His name is Devon by the way."

 _Haha yes!_

Blossom pursed her lips. Should she ask? It was silly to even ask it right?

Screw it she's asking.

"I do have one favor to ask." Blossom muttered, playing with her fringe as a means of distraction. "I know it's a small party and it won't be wild or crazy but can you promise me that neither of you will leave with either of my soon to be brothers-in-law? Butch is no short of detail when telling Brick and I all about his conquests. And while less vocal about what occurred, Boomer is pretty darn smug the whole time. Wearing this stupid smirk, arms behind his head and just annoyingly smug until you ask him about it. Then he tries to be all cavalier. Like _oh, you want to know how my night went? I guess I'll tell you_." She grumbled, tugging at a piece of her fringe that was a tad longer than the rest of her bangs. Right, she needed to get a trim to her hair. "Honestly, they're like high schoolers."

Trying to force her words out through her laughter, Buttercup asked, "Does Brick do that with them?"

She glanced between her two sisters with a pleading look in her eyes, "I don't know nor do I care. I don't like to hear it usually, and I especially don't want to hear it if the other party is one of my sisters."

"I am a taken lady." Bubbles said proudly, turning to adjust her hair in the mirror.

"Not officially." Buttercup said, reminding the youngest of their trio that four dates does not equal exclusive status. Turning to the mirror to run a finger under her waterline, Buttercup continued "And trust me, I like my men not self-absorbed, chaotic and/or idiotic and I like my rebounds attractive and willing to buy me as many empanadas as I want. So there goes my interest in Thing 1 and Thing 2."

Good. As much as she loved her future brothers-in-law they were obnoxious about getting laid. Even more obnoxious than when they were rambunctious, self-proclaimed villains. They still aren't very good criminals; to their credit they are decent criminals, it's just that she can tell if the crime was done by one of the boys or someone else almost instantly. She wouldn't be able to handle their smug attitudes discussing her sisters as one of their- oh hell, she didn't even want to think about it.

"Good. Otherwise I'd have to hold up that 'Make Good Choices' sign again as you guys leave."

Her sisters both threw their heads back in laughter, "I hope you know now every time Mitch and I go out, I picture you standing there holding up the sign. You've become my conscience. To be fair, you've always been my conscience, but typically it was just your voice reprimanding me." Her sister then mused her shoulder length raven locks. "Still have no clue how you had a poster made on actual poster board within like five minutes of me sending that text."

"I'm an elementary school art teacher. Of course I have poster board." Bubbles laughed, adjusting her own blonde curls.

She had two of her favorite people in the whole world standing beside her as they would when she took one of the biggest steps of her life. She opened her mouth to say something when her phone went off. Bubbles offered to get it, racing to Blossom's dressing room to grab it from her jean pocket. "Hey Brick! Give me one second." Bubbles then pulled the phone from her ear, placing a hand over the mouth area. "Want it on speaker? I don't think they want me holding up the phone to your ear while they make sure the dress is tailored properly." With a nod, Bubbles then came closer to her, holding the phone out and pressed the speaker button.

"What's up?" She asked, flattening out the sash around her waist.

"Nothing much. Everything is fine, totally fine. How's the fitting for a dress I'm just gonna take off anyway?"

She watched her middle sister's face grimace from her spot at the mirror. "Nice but ew." Buttercup muttered, adjusting the waist of her dress. It really did accent her sister's well. Cinching in the right places, who would have thought it was at most thirty bucks.

"Am I on speaker phone?" She went to respond yes when they heard a loud curse in the background. "Boom what the fuck- anyway hey so random hypothetical but if the fire extinguisher under the cabinet ran out of foam where would the second one be? Butch god dammit, take him outside! Babe seriously- but like hypothetically speaking."

In the background, she could hear Butch yell for Brick to just control it. Control what?

Brick's voice sounded slightly further away as if he had turned away from the phone, "I don't have pyrokinesis dumbshit! There's a difference between the ability to create flames and controlling your own and the ability to control fire when it pre-exists!" Brick then returned to the conversation with her, "Hey babe so hope you're having a great day but where would it be?" Once more he must have turned to yell elsewhere "For fuck's sake, the sink hose isn't doing anything! I like that couch! Butch has never been bare-assed on it.

"Shit babe okay it's gonna sound like I'm walking away but you're on speaker kinda like I am now. For fuck's sake you two are useless. Butch put a fucking coat on him! You don't bring a baby outside in a onesie when it's like this!" Brick's voice began to sound further and further away.

"Brick?" She asked trying to keep her voice calm as the tailor poked around under her left arm pretending as if she wasn't overhearing the conversation.

"Babe where would it be?" Brick yelled, now even further from the phone. The sound of doors being thrown open could be made out faintly in the background.

"At the bottom of the hall closet, I-" the sound of wind racing passed could be heard followed by Boomer yelling that he found it. What was happening in her apartment, she demanded answers from anyone on the other side of the phone call. Brick and Boomer then let out loud, colorful cheers – Landon better not be in the room.

The phone was then picked up from wherever it was left and Brick once again sounded near. "I would ask you to marry me right now but you already agreed." He was he avoiding her question. "Hypothetically we may need a new living room/kitchen area. I liked this couch, Butch never rubbed his naked ass on this one. And hypothetically speaking if we needed to contact the insurance company, what would their number be? I'm not actually an adult, I don't know these things."

She asked him why he was doing everything he could to ignore her questions.

"Babe, I'd never ignore you, you know that. Just Landon with a horrible sneeze that-" he then began to mutter, "may have lit our apartment on fire because someone idiot left his window open during his nap. Not like it's one of the coldest days of the year." Brick's voice then raised to its normal tone. "I'm changing the locks, they aren't allowed in anymore. Enjoy your day babe. I'll see you later when you get home and I'm an only child." The phone call was then abruptly ended.

Oh, he was going to get it. "I need to leave." Blossom addressed turning tail and racing towards her dressing room. The tailors arguing for her to stay, they were near finished making sure everything was fitted properly. Blossom would hear nothing of it though. From what she grasped her apartment had gone up in smokes because of her baby being sick?! Someone was getting her heeled foot up their ass if they didn't come clean about everything. And by someone, she more than likely meant Butch.

She raced off to her apartment the moment her arms were somewhat through her coat sleeves (she may have left her change of shoes in the dressing room), her sisters hot on her tail. All three dropped down onto the balcony in record time. Almost every inch of their open floor plan had been covered in burn marks hastily put to rest by foam that now seeped into her couch and carpeting. A trail of water droplets dripped from the kitchen's island to the living room where a larger body of water accumulated near the couch. The room smelled of smoke still and the smoke alarm still blared overhead. None of the occupants looked to be present. What the fuck had happened in her apartment?! Did one of them set something on fire? There was no way her baby did something like this. The trio preformed a quick sweep of the apartment, ensuring everyone had vacated the premises.

"Where are they?" Bubbles asked right as Blossom phone went off. It was Brick.

"Brick I swear, what the-"

"We're on the sidewalk outside with all the other tenants. Please come down they look really mad at us. This is feels like the beginning of a witch hunt. Please come down. They're gonna blame me like Salem did to those women. And just those women, I'm pretty innocent in all this."

As he said, all the occupants of the apartment complex stood out on the sidewalk. A majority grumbling about the hassle of having a fire in the complex. The faint sound of an ambulance could be made out racing several blocks away.

The people downstairs probably had no clue where it was.

Floating down to meet her idiot fiance, his siblings, and her adorable little pumpkin who sadly happened to be wedged in with all this nonsense, Blossom ignored all the tenants' complaints about having to leave their apartment on a rather cold day because of the fire alarm. Instead she took her baby into her arms and kissed his forehead. Her poor little pumpkin with his chubby little body haphazardly buttoned up in a warm coat had to be subjected to the weather. She pulled him in closer, adjusting his clothes and wrapping him up in her coat keeping the two of them warm. Landon let out a soft yawn, his eyes drooping shut.

"Apparently he's a fire breather." Brick admitted quickly, rubbing the back of his neck. Even though Brick said it earlier on the phone, Blossom still had a hard time believing him as he mentioned it once more. Her baby was only a few months old, he couldn't be showing signs of powers yet. Her gaze narrowed on the redhead before her. If he burned down their apartment he should at least own up to it instead of blaming her little pumpkin an feigning innocence. The wails of the fire engine continued, becoming louder and louder as they progressed towards the complex. In contrast to the fire engines, Brick's voice was a mere whisper that if not for her superior hearing would have been lost in the noisy crowd. "Butch opened Landon's window after I placed him down for his nap. I had no clue the window was even open. Boomer was the one who went to get him from his nap because while I was going to the bathroom he started to cry and Boomer being the better brother-"

"Hey! Rude!"

"Haha yes!"

"-said he'd get Little Man. One minute we're laying on the floor; me watching him, him on his stomach playing with that weird toy thing he likes. The next he's sneezing left and right setting everything on fire." No way. Her precious little babe lit the apartment on fire? That's not possible. He was too cute to be that destructive. He wasn't a year old, no baby had powers like that - she didn't have much to base her assumption on but he was too little and look at that smile! So sweet and innocent. She cuddled her baby into her chest, Landon letting out a soft coo of appreciation. Poor little thing fighting to stay awake. She began to gently rock them back and forth, too much excitement for her poor little pumpkin. An unscheduled nap should be fine in these circumstances. "Babe you listening?"

"There is no way he burned down basically the whole apartment. He's so tiny." She whispered, her baby was perfect - perfectly incapable of destruction. Something else had to be the cause. Maybe the cables behind the TV caught fire, or the oven wasn't shut off properly and the fire just happened to start right as he sneezed. Butch had yet to remember to shut their stove off after a vain attempt at cooking anything. He always cooks at their apartment, never at his own because he has an allergy to doing dishes. She wouldn't be surprised if his avoidance of properly shutting off her stove caused the fire.

"At five years old we had enough power to destroy a whole city." Shit, he was right. Brick let out a sigh, dropping his ever-present baseball cap onto their now sleeping baby's already capped head. "Guess we should look at new places to live. Preferably near a firehouse."

"We should probably bring him to the Professor." Blossom muttered, if he was getting sick there was a possibility of even worse outcomes - such as the whole complex and not just their apartment going up in smokes.

Shit, that meant she lost the bet with Brick. Why couldn't her baby have ice breath? She'd be fifteen dollars richer. Could buy a nice gyro platter tomorrow for lunch.

"You can tell which is your apartment." Butch let out a laugh, "It's just a square of black." She didn't chide Buttercup and Brick for both smacking the back of his head in front of her perfect little arsonist.

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"Babe?" She asked quietly, dropping her bag onto the coffee table. "You here?"

"Yea what's up?" Aw look, her two favorite men being cute. She found Landon laying on his belly playing with the plastic singing monstrosity the baby industry referred to as an 'activity gym'. The songs haunted her in her sleep and she found herself contemplating having her auditory canals removed. Laying on his back beside Landon was Brick, humming out a different tune than the hellish one spewing from said plastic singing monstrosity.

"I had an odd day." She said walking into the living room. Landon let out a squeal and reached his arms out excitedly making grabby hands at her. "Hey there my Chubmonster." She said, mimicking her fiance's position and pulling her baby onto her stomach. Landon giggled to himself as he sat up, clapping his hands happily. "You are the best part of my day." She said, bowling a raspberry on his cheek.

"Cool thanks."

"Eh." She couldn't see him from where she lay but she could hear Brick chuckle. Landon mouthed out an array of sounds, none sounding close to her name.

He'd beat Janet's kid dammit! He'd say 'mama', or really she'd be cool anything even cracker at this point, first!

Letting out a shriek of delight Landon plopped forward. "So like I said interesting day."

"On a scale of average day in Townsville to winning an intergalactic rebellion by blowing up a moon-sized space station, how interesting?" Dork. Her fiance is a dork and no one can tell her differently. Even if the newspapers

Reaching a hand out behind her, she interlaced her fingers with his. "My hat may have been thrown into the ring for Mayor."

"Babe you don't have any hats - well you have one hat but technically that's mine." Ass.

"I would say it's metaphorical but why would Townsville be normal. At Townsville Hall you toss a literal hat into a literal ring if you want to run for mayor."

That's when his head hovered over hers, his red hair dangling in her face. Hm, smells nice he should use that shampoo more often. "Is this your way of telling me you want to be mayor?"

Lifting her shoulders up from the floor, Blossom's lips met his briefly. "Miss Bellum had asked me to come down to Townsville Hall. That's when I found out they were hosting an impromptu town meeting in order to find an interim mayor. Though wouldn't it be a city meeting since technically we aren't a town, nor are we a village, even though the name implies it? Due to population size we are in fact a city-"

"Babe." He said curtly, an eyebrow raised at her rambling.

"Right. As City Manager, she had to find a new mayor to act in whatshisface's stead since he passed . At least until the end of term which is in a few months." her fingers drifted from Brick's to play with the end of her hair. "I had been wearing my ribbon to tie back my braid. Miss Bellum pulls it from said braid and then tosses it into the ring. After surveying the citizens of Townsville, she had concluded I was the most viable candidate and if I wanted the position she didn't think there'd be any qualms about it."

Miss Bellum thought she could be mayor. Her? Mayor? She was barely a paralegal at this point due to the fact she worked very little billable hours (read: hated leaving her baby). She still had some semblance of an income, but just barely. Could someone who was making such a living even run a city?

Brick's red eyes searched hers trying to read what her move was but she had no plan, no back-up plan, and/or back-up, back-up plan. She hadn't really thought of being mayor. Hell, she had no clue what she wanted to do with the job she had beside somehow end up working for Legal Aide. For once she had no clue what to do.

Sending her a wink, Brick lifted Landon from his spot on her stomach as he stood. Landon gurgling nonsense, focused on opening and closing his hand.

"I know you love him like family but, even as a child you were a better mayor than Mayor." Had she been? "Mayor Utonium. I kinda like that."

"I think you mean Mayor Jojo."

That smirk wasn't good. "I'm going to marry the- Babe earmuffs I only have one hand." Covering her baby's ears she watched as Landon glanced up at her with round, curious eyes. "I'm going to marry the shit out of you."

"As am I." She chucked, lowering her hands. Landon's eyes darted between both of his parents, his bottom lip quivering. Her baby did not like to be left out. Placing a kiss to his forehead, she smiled down at him.

Kissing her quickly, Brick threw Landon into the air. "Does that make me the FLOTUS?"

"No. I'm not nominated to be interim president."

"Yea, I guess you're right." He muttered, tossing Landon again. A joyful squeal coming for their happy baby, "So I'd be the FLOT?" The fuck is he talking about? "First Lady of Townsville." He said pointedly, as if she should know this.

"You're lucky I'm attracted to you." No, that smirk did not bode well.

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(Not that she was complaining about said smirk later after the Professor took Landon to see Miss Bellum.)

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Work was killing her. They were 'easing' her back into a full-time position. And by easing she meant a head on collision with a train. Ever since Miss Bellum announced she was the City Manager's choice for interim mayor her job seemed overzealous in their attempts to keep her employed with them.

She officially worked three full days a week yet somehow, she found herself working all five days the past week doing 10 hour shifts - as opposed to her usual eight hour shifts prior to maternity leave. The commute would have been slightly longer now that they were staying at her dad's for the better half of a month but the joys of flight made it all the more swifter.

Because she could fly now, thank you CX.

Her dad knew a real estate agent through a six degrees of Kevin Bacon situation and he agreed to help them find a new residence. She and Brick had seen a few apartments in their price ranges: some being snatched up instantly, some being too small, some too decrepit, and some that had her wanting to run for the hills the moment the front door was opened. She had only looked around once for an apartment – her cute little place up in Little Tokyo that sadly was not rent controlled and too small for two people to be living in but she had found the place after months of searching during her senior year of college. A girl who lived in her dorm had mentioned renting an apartment there to her and saying they had a few apartments up for sale at that moment. Blossom set up a meeting that day to see the property with her dad the following weekend.

Brick had his apartment since he graduated high school. It was originally a "safe house" some criminal who went to jail had to sell to be able to pay his retribution. Criminal, whose name Blossom doesn't know, knew Mojo and Mojo introduced it to the boys when they wanted their own place.

She forgot how much house hunting sucked. And she wanted a house, not an apartment, not a condo – a house this time. While living in their apartment she did eventually want to a find house for Landon (and any other kids they may have, hopefully on purpose) to grow up in. She thought maybe the whole baby burning down half the apartment was a sign it was time for her and Brick to get an actual place of their own, not just an apartment.

Not saying all the apartments were bad. They had found a nice one online and at the end of her shift tomorrow they were to go check it out. A nice two bedroom (more one and a half bedrooms) that wasn't too steep in price. A small kitchenette, a comfortable living room. A bathroom with a tub. The commute would be killer if she ever went through pregnancy again. Freaking hour to get to work.

The real estate agent had given her a realtor magazine. Inside he had circled a few homes he thought they'd like. He circled a small cottage in particular and wrote how he figured she'd really like this one; it was a small two floor cottage, ivy dancing up a majority of the front wall excluding the entryway and its large bay windows. Four brown brick steps leading up to a small porch. The path decorated with plants and shrubbery. A large tree to the right of the property had a swing attached. And to round out the fairy tale cottage, a small white fence. The home was a dream.

The price on the other hand, more along the lines of a nightmare. Double what she had budgeted.

Currently she sat at her father's couch going over her files. Apparently a fifty hour work week did not mean she would be free from having to take her work home. She had combed through thousands of emails and bank statements trying to make sense of the case but none of the pieces were adding up, something was missing meaning she was stuck working until it was found.

Brick lay on his back on the carpeted floor, gently tossed Landon up and down while her father heated up leftovers in the kitchen. Landon let out a joyous shriek every time he went into the air.

"Babe I think our baby's broken."

"Brick that's not possible." She grumbled, thumbing through the reports in desperate search for something to crack the case. Anything at this point.

He mumbled something as he tossed Landon up once more, "See broken."

"Babe," she started, sending him a sidelong look, "a baby doesn't simply break. Physically impossible. Well technically impossible, not physically. He's not like a kitchen appliance." He rolled his crimson eyes telling her to watch. Watch what? He tossed Landon up who was just as excited the thirtieth time as he was the first. When Landon landing back in his arms, Brick quickly sat up.

"See!" See what? Letting out a groan, Brick threw his head back to lay in the couch. "You don't see. Babe he's broken." _Still technically impossible._ "Why doesn't he float in the air when I toss him up? We've already established he has powers and earlier Boomer said when he came by Landon hovered for like three seconds. I think your dad needs to look at him when he comes back in."

"Look at who?" Her father asked before mentioning everything was heated up and to grab what they wanted.

"Landon, he-"

"Nothing. Thank you for dinner by the way, let me just clean up in here and we'll be right there."

Brick sent her a glare before standing up, "Landon's broken." She let out a huff of annoyance and he groaned in response, "Okay wrong term but it's the best I can think of right now! He has powers, how come they don't work anymore?"

Her father glanced between the two of them before letting out a chuckle, "Brick from what I've come to understand, a baby of his age doesn't usual show signs of powers let alone have control of their powers. They just come and go; fine one day, burning an apartment the next." Brick did not seem too pleased with the answer. Muttering about how Landon was playing him. Oh yes because their infant son could do that. As she was about to follow him in the living room both her and Brick's phones indicted a text message.

 **BC:** Disregarding how I found this, you may wanna check this link out (link)

 **Brick:** maybe I don't want to look at it if you won't explain how you came about finding it... for all we know it could be a virus

 **BC:** Shut the fuck up.

 **Brick:** what is with the Utonium girls and being rude? fucking perfect little girls my ass

 **Blossom:** How did you find the link?

 **BC:** Some rando emailed it to me. Go check it out.

 **Brick:** I see where your allegiance lies

 **BC:** You tried to destroy me in D&D, I know where yours lies too.

 **Brick:** to be fair you were trying to kill us all

 **BC:** Irrelevant

Blossom clicked on the link her sister sent ignoring the bickering between the other two members of their group chat. It was for a fundraiser: a fundraiser to raise money to help a certain displaced superhero afford a new residence. Said displaced superhero being her. The amount of money the fundraiser had raised could pay for The House in full - she and Brick would just have to pay for utilizes and whatnot each month. Who made this page? She clicked on the profile for 77462377 but there was no photo and no description. Who was this anonymous person? Her name wasn't on the apartment lease (technically Brick and his brothers owned the place, so technically the apartment was still theirs even though she constantly reminded them it wasn't ), no one besides the people she cared about or those who resided on the same floor as her knew she resided in that apartment and the people living on the same floor were a bit ticked off at her for putting them at risk - though Brick luckily had the fire maintained inside their apartment and their apartment only. The thing that surprised her though was the fact she would have just enough for that lovely little cottage she desperately wanted to call home.

Brick's phone made a noise, indicating he had another message but hers didn't go off - guess it wasn't from Buttercup. Brick's eyes widened in response and he quickly typed something back. She went to say something when his phone rang.

"Babe I uh, need to take this. I'll be just a couple minutes." He hurriedly said, placing Landon in her arms then ran up to the room they were staying in. What in the world? She walked into the dining room where the Professor had placed the heated up pasta on the table. Why did Brick seem so shocked at whatever was sent to him?

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"So, what do you think?" she asked, her voice low. Leaning back slightly into red cushion of the chair, she watched tentatively as he entered the dimly lit office. Moonlight filtered in through the tall windows looking out onto the skyline of Townsville offering the only form of lighting. Her feet clad in a pair of black velvet heels were propped up against the wooden desk – the same desk every Mayor the city had ever seen sat at, the desk that was now hers. One leg crossed over the other.

"Any reason you called me down here so late?" He asked, stopping a few feet from the desk.

"Figured you'd like to see where your future wife is going to be spending a lot of her time." She answered, gesturing to the grand office that somehow belonged to her.

"I was at the inauguration this afternoon."

"Well that was outside." She started, her legs slowly moving from off of the desk to the floor, her right leg pointedly crossing over her left. Her arms crossed at her bust. His eyes briefly drifted downwards, away from her face, only to snap back up when she opened her mouth once more. "This is a more intimate setting I'll be working in."

Earlier that morning she stood in the courtyard behind Townsville Hall where Miss Bellum swore her in as the newest Mayor of Townsville. The nine of the fifteen people who would be attending their wedding and a single cameraman baring witness to her inauguration. Butch, Mojo, and HIM not chancing stepping foot on Townsville Hall soil and Boomer who had been entrusted to babysit Landon watched from the safety of their computer screen in the volcano lab

(She may or may not have "forgotten" to invite Mitch; he was really only Buttercup's friend and was acting as her middle sister's quasi-date after Buttercup's asshat boyfriend ghosted her).

She still wore the same red knee length dress adorned with a gold metal belt in front of the waist and a golden metal rod above her u-neck line, she still wore the same black velvet heels, her hair still fell in the same lazy curls.

Yet for some reason she felt completely anew.

He took two steps forward, leaning against the side of the desk, "An office all to yourself. It is rather intimate." His eyes bore into hers and she couldn't help but brush a few strands of hair from in front of her shoulder. His gaze once again drifting downwards briefly only to snap back up to lock with hers.

Standing from her seat, she began to glide towards the tall windows, "I never really thought one day I'll be looking out on this city not just as it's protectorate, but as it's mayor." Turning on her heels, she noticed he had moved closer to her, "Funny how life never seems to go as planned."

He knew all about life changing its course.

He muttered something to her before stepping closer. "You told me you'd be Mayor Jojo but it seems like you're already lying to your citizens. Never good to be untrustworthy." He leaned against the cold glass pane of the window, a lazy smirk on his features. "How do I know you'll be what this city needs if I don't even know what to call you?"

"Ass." She muttered, rolling her eyes.

"I guess I can call you that. I do like yours."

Rolling her eyes once more, she took a step closer to him. Her hand running through his hair. "The mayor and the villain. Interesting turn of events."

He lowered his lips to hers. "Heroes and villains are all relative. To me, you were the villain." He kissed her once more, lifting her off the ground. Her legs wrapping around his waist. Relative, huh? Never really thought of them as the Mayor and the hero- his lips trailed up her jaw as he shifted them around, her back now pressed against the glass. "Just like how the terms good and bad are relative. Seeing as the good little hero is currently trying to seduce me in her office."

"Trying?"

"Succeeding." That's what she thought.

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 **Mike:** No

 **Blossom:** We didn't say anything!

 **Mike:** You two are gross

 **Mike:** I will not fix the desk

 **Mike:** Not unless you admit you two are gross and full of regret for desecrating our town's history and are sorry for the next mayor who will have to sit there

 **Brick:** none of the above

 **Brick:** will repeat once you fix the desk

 **Brick:** to be honest the next mayor will probably do the same thing

 **Mike:** No

 **Blossom:** Unsubscribe.

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Her sisters somehow had roped her into a bachelorette party and somehow roped her into wearing black pleather jeans paired with a blood red crop top. She stood in front of the full-length mirror in Buttercup's bathroom, drumming her fingers over the exposed portion of her midriff. Her sisters said she looked amazing but she felt awkward. It wouldn't be the first time she wore a crop top but it would be the first time since Landon.

Was she too old to be wearing something like this? Being about a quarter of a century meant you weren't allowed to wear crop tops, right? Especially if you are about a quarter of a century and a baby mama, right? She looked ridiculous in the attire. Especially the golden hoops Robin forced her into wearing. Half of her mane had been sectioned off and turned into a bun atop her head, leaving the rest to fall in gentle beach waves.

Her attire was something a young twenty something year old in college would wear for a night on the town. Yet here herself stood looking like an old maid trying to recreate her glory days.

At least she was allowed to don her trusty heeled ankle boots.

Maybe she should just tell them she's not feeling well. Say it's wedding nerves.

They were going to a cute little hole-in-the-wall lounge Bubbles had accidentally stumbled upon. She and her coworkers were dressed up for a night out at one of the bigger clubs in town and somehow, due to possibly every issue known to man, ended up in the small venue.

Alternatively, the guys were going out for a "wine tasting" according to Butch for Brick's bachelor party. She smells a hint of nutmeg, a pinch of something oaky, and a whole lot of bullshit.

The dastardly duo known as his younger brothers were dragging Brick outside when Buttercup threw open the door to their childhood home and yelled "Time to shake our asses! Just kidding Parental Unit!" She then whispered in her ear that she wasn't kidding. Her bridal party was already two drinks in - she swore they'd make her catch up.

When she had walked into the living room, a bottle of whatever they had been drinking was all but thrown at her. "Catch up." Buttercup ordered, throwing her leather jacket on, "We have a full night of being the better party. Pssh, who does a wine tasting instead of getting a stripper." A guy lying to get his brother out for a night of who knows what? Hope they don't die... She rather liked her fiance... Should she check in on him? They left about an hour ago.

 _The vineyards are so far away, you know. We have to head out earlier than you girls. Please get my dearest brother, they have a rosé I think he'll die for._

Maybe she should have properly said goodbye when Butch and Boomer appeared at her dad's but her sisters and Robin dragging her to Buttercup's apartment distracted her from properly getting a chance to tell Landon he'd only have one parent from now on. That and inquiring what he meant.

Prior to be dragged off to the supposed vineyards, Brick had attempted to begin a conversation with her.

"Hey, I need to talk to you." He said, dropping down onto the couch beside her as she tried in vain to tame her hair into a top bun - a bun Bubbles instantly deconstructed.

"It's about the wedding." Her fingers that combed through her hair stilled. Was something wrong?

He played with the brim of his hat before sending the faintest of smiles her way. "I don't think we should get married- babe wait I'm still talking! Stop with the face." What face? She wasn't making a face. "I just don't think we should get married in the courthouse or at Townsville Hall."

Before he got a chance to divulge his stance on why they shouldn't wed in the courthouse as they previously planned his brothers swooped in an hour earlier than Brick anticipated.

Now she stood in front of the mirror, pretending to focus on the liquid eyeliner she always ended up stabbing her eye with and not over-analyzing what her fiance meant.

"Let's goooooo!" Robin cheered, jumping up from the couch. "Let's go, let's go, let's gooooo!" She began to sing the last word, varying poorly through several octaves. Her fist pounding against the bathroom door. "Let's go foxy mama."

"That was beautiful." Bubbles said in awe.

"Thanks smaller one." How drunk were they? Right, lightweights. Blossom may be the smallest of the group height wise but at least she could hold her own longer than the blue eyed pair. Buttercup, the tallest with the strongest liver she has ever experienced, could never be caught. With a resigning sigh, Blossom opened up the bathroom door revealing her haggard self to her bridesmaids.

Bubbles turned to her, playing with the ends of her pigtails. Half of her hair had been done in two loose French braids which transitioned into two wavy pigtails. Letting out a loud cheer, Bubbles race over and grabbed her hand, "You look amazing!" She then turned to face Robin, "Let's gooooo!" Soon the two initiated an earsplitting duet.

"I'm not drunk enough for that." Buttercup grumbled, blotting her dark red lipstick.

"Let's gooooo!"

About thirty minutes later she found herself waiting on the surprisingly short line for the lounge. The bass could be heard, even from outside. The tinted glass windows on the second floor pulsating in tune to whatever song was playing. Her sisters and Robin chatted happily as she pulled out her phone. No messages. With a sigh, Blossom opened up her most frequent text thread.

 **Blossom:** Don't die.

 **Brick:** I'm supposedly at a vineyard, how would I die?

 **Blossom:** Don't end up in prison either. I'm not getting married in prison.

 **Brick:** rude, you wouldn't bail me out?

 **Brick:** and let's be honest, there's only one prison that can hold me and that's the badass space prison in Men in Black 3

Smiling to herself, she flashed her ID at the bouncers allowing them into the lounge. The first floor's main embellishment was the bar lining the left wall. Groups congregated all over; either huddling into one other or trying to yell over the music blasting through the speakers. Another bouncer stood beside a stairwell on the back wall. He moved to the left, allowing a group of women to climb said stairs.

"We have to go upstairs to dance." Bubbles yelled her voice barely higher than the bass thumping as she pulled them through the throng of patrons. "Hey can we-" Bubbles started but the bouncer cut her off. The dancefloor was around capacity at the moment, he asked they give about fifteen minutes for it to thin out slightly. Blossom nodded, bringing them over to the far corner of the bar where there seemed to be less of a crowd. Within seconds of staking their territory, Buttercup flagged down the bartender. The male looked in awe that a Powerpuff Girl was frequenting their bar, if the beer overflowing from the glass onto his hand was any indication. She couldn't make out what her sister requested but soon four shot glasses with a near clear liquid had been placed on the bar top.

"I would like to be the first to say congratulations. He's an idiot but he's your idiot and you two surprisingly made the cutest baby I have ever seen." Buttercup said, raising her shot glass in toast, "I'd never thought one of the idiots would become part of my family seeing as they kind of tried to kill us on several occasions and we may or may not have allegedly killed them. Justified or not, I will not admit to any crime of that nature. It's a weird relationship but you're happy, which makes me happy and Bubbles is happy because of the Chubmonster that is the best damn nephew in the universe. Here, cheers to one of your last nights as a single lady." Finishing her strange salutation, Buttercup clinked her glass with Blossom's then threw the shot back; Bubbles, Robin and Blossom mimicking her action.

"I want to do one!" Bubbles chirped, flagging down the same bartender, who still stood in awe, once more asking for a shot of something called hypno? Like the Pokémon? That was an odd name for a drink.

Four shot glasses were placed on the wooden bar top to replace their empty ones, each filled with a sky blue liquid. "It matches my eyes." Bubbles joked, raising her glass. "Alright so like Buttercup said I kind of never thought I would be calling a Ruff my brother but heck he makes you happy, so darn happy." Bubbles smiled, pulling her in for a side hug. "You do have the cutest baby and I've contemplated not returning him whenever I babysit. I love you so much and you are going to be the most beautiful courthouse bride, the best wife, and the most wonder mother the world has ever seen. Oh no I'm gonna make myself cry, let's just drink this." Bubbles whimpered, tossing back her shot.

 _Courthouse bride..._

"Would doing a third shot be overkill cause I want to-" Robin started but was cut off when a male from the bar invaded their circle, his left hand placed on Robin's shoulder, his right hand placed low on Blossom's back.

"What are you lovely ladies up to over here." He asked, a drunken smile playing on his lips, "You girls look like you're having a good time." His eyes drooping as he turned his gaze on each other them before stopping on Blossom. A different male sped over to them, apologizing for his friend's intrusion attempting to pull him away. The drunken male smiled even more, leaning in to ask if he could have her number. Blossom opened her mouth to say something when Buttercup beat her to it.

"Sorry bud but she is a taken lady, last night of freedom and all. See ya." He looked really confused when Blossom held up her left hand, her engagement ring on display.

His eyes widened slightly, leaning in once more to ask if he could at least dance with her at least once later.

"I'll think about it." Blossom muttered, not really in the mood to deal with the drunken male. The male's smile widened, allowing his friend to drag him off, the drunken one calling out how she was beautiful. "He slid his hand down to my ass…"

"At a bar for less than ten minutes and Blossom gets hit on! Post-Landon and you still got it." Robin joked, trying to flag the bartender down, "I think that calls for shot number three." Did she? Brick seemed to still think she was somewhat attractive... even if she looked eh.

No matter how hard Robin tried, which was everything short of crawling onto the bar top, all three bartenders seemed to be too engaged with other patrons. "Come on, that's not fair. You guys get serviced immediately and I get nothing. Y'all want to dance, I'll make my toast after I down a few vodka cranberries later because I'm going to smudge my makeup crying and it's too early for me to have mascara lines."

The bouncer went to tell them once more they had to wait when he took notice of who stood before him. He hurried apologized for not letting them up earlier, lifting the velvet ropes allowing them access to the stairwell. "Okay, being with you guys has its perks." Robin joked, looping her arm through Blossom's. They were less likely to be found waiting on lines; one advantage of being the defenders of the city for twenty years. As they approached the dancefloor, colorful strobe lights flitted about. The DJ performing his set stood on a raised platform overlooking the dancefloor, the set currently on a decent song Blossom often bopped along to on the radio – but it wasn't a good 'dance' song. Maybe the next one. Bubbles grabbed her hand and Buttercup grabbed onto the bottom of her top as they made their way through the crowd. Finding a spot not too far from the center Robin began swaying side to side. As the song faded into the next one, the lights changed in color – was he really playing the Cha Cha Slide? Who played the Cha Cha Slide at a club? Apparently this DJ. Most of the patrons threw their heads back and began doing the movements. She was not that drunk nor at a sweet sixteen, she was not dancing to the damn Cha Cha Slide.

Maybe she should check on Landon.

Or make sure Brick had oxygen in his lungs.

After awkwardly swaying to the next few songs, the DJ ended his set - a different DJ walking up to the platform. Thanking the previous DJ, the current one started off his set with Blossom's favorite. She let out a loud cheer letting herself get lost in the music. Songs faded into one another the beats all blurring together seamlessly as Blossom, Robin and her sisters continued to lose themselves in the music.

Someone grabbed her arm and twirled her into him. The male then tried to pull her in closer – is it bad she said he smelled really bad in her head? Because he did and he was awkwardly rubbing up on her no matter how hard she tried to push him away and- no he was moving in! She twisted her neck as she pushed against his chest. No, no, no, "I'm not interested, I'm en-" she started when her arm was tugged on once more and her body swayed through the crowd. A pair of lips planted themselves on hers. Oh god no- she went to pull away when she noticed who it was.

"Sorry, she's with me." Robin said to the male, who looked deflated.

"You are the true hero of this city. I love you, you are the best friend ever. Oh my god and he smelled so bad but I felt really bad thinking that and-"

"Love calm down, no means no." Robin glanced about looking for Bubbles and Buttercup who had headed to the bathroom. "I think I've made out with the three of you to get away from creeps more times than I've made out with guys I like. Where is Brick, he should be the one handling his hot fiancee being even more attractive as she dances about."

Thanking her friend once more, she noticed her sisters meandering through the crowd. Bubbles looked upset and Buttercup looked annoyed. What was wrong? They mimed to follow them, the group making their way back down to the bar area and towards the exit. The temperature had lowered since they had entered, everyone but Buttercup clutched their arms to their body. "What's up?" Robin asked, the music from the bar acting as background noise – the bar and the club are playing different songs, huh.

"We got a call, because why would crime stop for one damn night." Buttercup growled, her fists clenching.

Bubbles looked apologetic as she hugged Robin and the Blossom, "We'll handle these buttheads, enjoy your night." Did they think they were going without her? Really? Her sisters took to the air. She turned to Robin and quickly hugged her friend.

"I'm so sorry." Blossom

"It's fine, there's a 24-hour diner right down the street, you can find me there." Robin smiled, starting her trek towards said diner and Blossom shot off into the sky to trail after a light blue and a lime green streaks of light. Another reason she could never go on a honeymoon, crime never stopped. No matter how many times they beat the bad guys, the bad guys always came back for more.

"Wait Bubs, don't drink and fly! You don't want a Fly.U.I." Buttercup called out.

"Pot meet kettle!"

"I'm not the one whose three sheets to the wind!" Bubbles picked up more speed, her light blue streak racing across the sky. The alarms from a high end jewelry store blaring through the silence of the night. Not too far ahead in the distance, the flashing red and blue lights of cops cars acted as a beacon for the emergency. Bubbles shot off, dropping down onto the sidewalk in front of the store, Blossom and Buttercup a few seconds behind.

Her probably more intoxicated-then-she-should-be sister threw open the doors to the store - the apparent metal contraption keeping the doors locked in place and the police outside be damned. "Not so fast-" Bubbles started, her hands proudly on her hips. She then turned to look over her shoulder a look of disappointment etched onto her features, "That's when Buttercup says 'Mojo' and Blossom I guess you'd say 'Jojo' since I stole your line."

"We would but he's semi-retied and that's not him." Buttercup smirked, definitely recalling every tidbit of this night that she could to use later for posterity.

"It's not?" No Bubs don't look so sad. "I've missed using that line." No, not the quivering of the bottom lip. Landon does that too. Forcing herself to look away from the youngest sister, Blossom noticed a trio dressed in black turtlenecks, black jeans, black gloves, and the tried and true black ski masks. A staple of her twenty years of existence. Couldn't they spruce it up? Maybe wear something less likely to draw attention to your criminal ways. Like a pink bonnet and your Sunday finest?

One male was shoving everything he could from the main display case into a bag, while the other two ransacked the displays spread around the showroom floor.

The male stealing from the main display case drew his gun, pointing the weapon at Bubbles. "Back up and out of here. No one has to get hurt."

"No one except you." Buttercup muttered, cracking her knuckles as if to emphasis her point. _Really?_

"Clooney." the male stalking the left side of the room sputtered, his hands visibly shaking as they hovered over the piece strapped to his side.

"Shut it Cleese, fill the bag." the male referred to as 'Clooney' directed, cocking back the hammer on his gun. "Why don't the three of you run along now. Like I said, I don't want anyone to get hurt."

Within a second a gun had fired off, grazing the exit sign above Bubbles' head. Clooney's blue eyes narrowed angrily, as his head whipped to face the male on the right side, "The fuck was that Fröbe. I literally just said how I don't want anyone to get hurt. Do you want someone to die?"

Fröbe's weapon was still raised, his finger hovering over the trigger as he toyed with whether or not to try again.

A voice rang out through the store, "What the hell was that?"

The one Cleese, reached for his radio instead of his gun, "Roth... uh those supers I told you guys about... well they're here..." his voice shaking with every word. Clooney's head turned slowly to face them on the mention of the word 'supers'.

"Hello boys." Blossom started, "Kindly return everything you just pocketed. What was it you said, and no one needs to get hurt?" That's when the second shot rang out this time from the front man's gun. The bullet missing as Blossom merely moved her head to the right. "I did ask nicely." That's Buttercup made the first move, lunging for the trigger happy thief on the left, knocking his weapon to the ground with a bolley kick.

Bubbles went to make a move for Clooney but Blossom beat her to it. Her sister shouldn't even be here, let alone taking anyone on in her state. The male took a second shot at Blossom which was easily evaded as the first. Taking a note from Buttercup's page, Blossom spun herself in a circle. Using her right leg for momentum as she spun she swung her left leg around allowing her foot to connect with the side of Clooney's face. Tornado kick, bitch. With the force of the kick, his body began to fall forwards. With a properly timed round kick, she was able to knock the gun from his hand and in the opposite direction of where he toppled.

"Jumping side kick!" Bubbles yelled, running towards Cleese before flinging herself through the air. Her right leg out with her left tucked under her. Her right foot made contact with the male's chest, tossing him backwards into the display case.

"You know." Buttercup started from where she stood. Her her hold on his left hand, she had Fröbe's left arm twisting in one direction, while the rest of his body was leaning the opposite. He was folded at the torso, her hip pushing into his. "I'm starting to think this wasn't a fair fight." Fröbe grumbled something causing Buttercup to twist his wrist further. "Don't test the person armbarring you, dumbass."

"Is he dead?" Bubbles whispered, pointing to Cleese. The male's head had rolled back, his body trapped in the glass display . "It was a light kick, a baby kick if you will."

"That's not as intense a bachlorette party I was aiming for. That's like a fifteen on the scale when I was aiming more for a nine. Alcohol, maybe some males at a certain club, late night pizza, losing money at a blackjack table because I'm shit at gambling. I did not foresee another crime Blossom being a part of..."

That's when the police stormed in.

"There was a voice over the radio, a fourth. They called him Roth." Blossom finished after debriefing the captain on what had occurred after he walked through the front doors. The captain nodded, explaining they'd handle it from there and that they could enjoy the rest of their evening.

.

.

.

(And he was alive by the way.)

.

.

.

 **Blossom:** Hope the vineyards are fun. Had to stop a jewelry heist that was a waste of time.

 **Blossom:** Am I old? It's not even midnight and I already want my pajamas on? Am I too old to be doing superhero stuff cause I'm tired as hell and I barely did anything? Though we were at a club for apparently two hours before heading over there.

 **Blossom:** They fell like a sack of potatoes the moment you touched them so your self-proclaimed crown on villainy is still on your head.

 **Blossom:** Please no dying and/or ending up in prison.

.

.

.

Pushing open the doors to the diner, Robin's figure could be made out in a far back booth munching on French fries she dipped into her chocolate shake. Three more chocolate shakes sat on the tabletop. "I figured you guys would want a shake too." Buttercup plopped into the seat opposite Robin, Bubbles sliding in beside her leaving the seat next to Robin for Blossom.

"Is it sad I kind of just want a milkshake, fries, and watching horrible movies instead of heading back out?" Her friends nodded in agreement, citing a few films they could watch when they returned to Buttercup's apartment.

"I also have a million pillows Robin can hide herself under." Her friend went to protest but stopped when Buttercup raised a hand, "I love you and all but we'd have to bring extra pillows if we slept over because you used all of them."

Robin rolled her eyes, sliding the basket of fries between Robin and Blossom. She then slightly raised her milkshake, "I had speech for you planned and it was heartfelt and sappy but fuck it we're all tired. Here's to one of the first friends I had when moving here and feels like one of the only three friends I have presently. You're the first of said three friends to be getting married and I couldn't be prouder. I love you so damn much. Hopefully you guys spawn a bunch of ginger babies that I get to spoil with candy and weird DIY trinkets I attempt cause I saw something cute online." Her sisters cheered in agreement, taking sips from their shakes.

.

.

.

 **Boomer:** I may have just woken up and forgot that Brick said to tell you (cause you wouldn't get mad at me) that he went one in two last night but not to tell you which is what. I'm not sure what that means but I'm also still drunk...

 **Boomer:** To be honest most of the night is fuzzy. That bar tab is probably gonna bankrupt me.

 **Boomer:** I MEAN VINEYARD

He went one in two? What did that-

Damn it. She didn't think what she asked of him was hard. Don't die and don't end up in prison. She hadn't gotten a text saying to bring bail money or Brick placing his one phone call to her.

Which meant one thing - he somehow ended up dead... And ended up miraculously alive again to tell Boomer to text her something. Fuck she loved him but she wanted to kill him. Don't die felt like the simplest of requests. Apparently, it was not all that simple.

Or that either Boomer or Butch had been Brick's one phone call and they had miraculously pulled together the money to bail Brick out of jail all before ten in the morning.

Selecting Brick's name in her phone, she waited as the line tried to connect but ultimately the call did not go through. She tried once more garnering the same result.

 **Blossom:** Where are you?

 **Brick:** in hell. both figuratively and literally

 **Brick:** save me: the gorilla and the sunburnt baby are lecturing us. excuse you, Butch was the one with the plan that horribly failed, why are Boomer and I being lectured? and it's not the first time we died, they should be better at handling this. my heart only stopped for like ten minutes

 **Brick:** apparently calling the simian who created me a 'gorilla' and the demonic entity that's revived me twice a 'sunburnt baby' (even through text message) is not very nice. HIM just yelled that we shouldn't take us dying so lightly because one day he won't reanimate us and we'll have to rot. what's the point of having a demon as a weird father figure if he won't bring you back to life?

 **Brick:** he threatened to hit us and Butch threatened to exorcise at him. even though we're already in hell. please help, otherwise I may not come back this time. who's going to teach Landon who to pick a lock or blow shit up or beat a lie detector test? not that I've done that last one. I'm a good citizen. but like help

She ended up saving at least one life, while Butch ending up taking one, poetic in an odd way.

At least he was alive now.

How the hell did his heart stop? Her finger hovered over the call button wanting to know every detail, every moment, what happened but at the same time she was annoyed with him. She did not believe staying alive was that hard a request. What in the world could they have done that made Brick's heart stop at a 'vineyard'. And he shouldn't be taking this lightly. He thought she was dying and asked her to marry him because _he thought she was dying_ and for some reason felt he wanted to spend the rest of her life at her side.

Yet he's downplaying the fact he _fucking died._

Again, she clicked the green button to place a call to Brick but the line never went through. On her third try, Butch whispered into the phone that HIM was about to lay down the law and that HIM would kindly like her to stop calling ungrateful shit known as Brick - or any of them really. The call was disconnected in less then ten seconds.

"Hey, why don't we go out to brunch to make up for last night's fail of a bachelorette party?" Buttercup asked, hopping over the back of the couch once Blossom pocketed her phone. "We could go out for something. Excluding the cutie little chubmonster over there and the wannabe Utonium-" a noise of protest came from the mound of pillows that hid Robin "- it'll be like when we were younger. The four of us haven't gone out as a family in a while."

A blue streak raced into the living room, throwing herself onto the armchair, "Ooh brunch sounds great! Blossom what do you think?" Wasn't her sister supposedly taking a nice long shower. That looks like some dry hair and even if it wasn't one of her hair washing days, she was wearing the same attire she wore before she went to 'take a shower' - her pajamas. "I could really go for some Belgian waffles! Oh, and a large blueberry muffin!" Her blue orbs shined with excitement. It had been a while since they had gone out with just the family.

"Okay, brunch sounds good." The mountain of pillows on the floor went tumbling about as Robin sat up, mentioning something about no mimosas. Bubbles' phone already in hand as she listed off several restaurants in the area they could try. Buttercup stood up her phone in hand to call their father.

Upon returning to the living room, Buttercup informed them the Professor would be there shortly with a car and her little chubmonster. Then they could pig out on pancakes. She could already hear the chocolate chip pancakes topped with whipped cream and strawberries calling out to her. Oh and a glass of ice cold chocolate milk, maybe even a milkshake...

Ten minutes and a wardrobe change into a comfy sweater leggings combination later, Blossom found herself sandwiched in the backseat of her father's car in between Bubbles sitting on Robin in the seat to her left and her baby buckled into his car seat to her right. Buttercup proudly taking up the passenger seat having won out against the other two females for the coveted spot. Landon bucked his legs in and out happily in time to whatever her baby was babbling to his stuffed lion. (Her fiance truly thought he was funny.) Landon always seemed so happy, so sorted with his life at the tender age of seven months. His large pink eyes glances up to lock with hers. Crinkling in the corners, his eyes become alight, accompanied but a joyous shriek. Did she mention her baby loved attention? Because he did. His legs kicked faster in excitement; car and train rides happened to be one of his favorite things in the world (so far.) add in its with part of his family, her baby was in a state of ecstasy. She couldn't wait until he flew. The rush, the feeling of being completely free, he'd love it even more then the leisurely paced drive through the suburbs to wherever Bubbles had been directing. _Make a left here, hook a right at the gas station, dad make a u-turn you missed it._

The smell in the air began to shift, even through the closed windows of the automobile. They were heading towards the seaport? Not the usual area she would chose for brunch. A strong waft of fish surrounded her the further the car inched down the road. Yup, definitely the seaport. Why did Bubbles have to seem so mysterious about it? Why couldn't she just say head to the seaport? They crawled passed clusters of restaurants lining the main street of the seaport. They drove passed each establishment approaching the marina itself. Were they planning to picnic by the boats? Her father may have become rather the accomplished chef while raising the three of them, he couldn't have whipped up a meal for the five of them in such a short amount of time. Nor had she packed a warm enough jacket for the winds near the water. Parking in a public car park, the four other passengers (excluding Landon) exited the vehicle - Buttercup making a quick detour to the trunk for a rather large box and a smaller version of Landon's baby bag - making their way towards the docks. Where were they going and what had been in that box? Quickly releasing Landon from his car seat, she sought to catch up with her family. Clutching her baby to her chest, she sped up in her pace. Her middle sister muttered about something being too dang far - and her father agreeing, stretching out his back. They shouldn't be making him go this far - wherever 'this' was. Her dearest father, though he tried to act like he was still a spring chicken had been climbing in age. They shouldn't be having him walk this far. Especially downhill from the car park. One of her sisters would have to carry him back to the car later - after he gave a good fight trudging about halfway up the hill. He stopped once to catch his breath, playing it off as stopping to wait for her. She gladly accepted the arm he gingerly held out.

"How are you?" He asked, surveying the scene before them. The sun reflecting out on the calm waters. A few boats drifting idly by in the distance. Robin trying to race the two other Utonium sisters to the docks. She held her own against two superpowered women.

"I've been good, how about you? Ready to drive me to the courthouse on Monday?" Her father gave her a soft smile, eyes still on the horizon. Even though they possibly won't be.

Taking a deep breath, he turned to look at her, "When I created you girls, I never thought this day would come. I was too enraptured by these precious little doll-like girls who had more strength in their tiny stubs for hands than I had ever seen. Little doll-like girls who spent every waking moment juggling trying to save the city with trying to be normal children regardless of the then obvious physical differences. I never thought passed you three being the little doll-like girls until you three were growing up." Using his other hand, he patted where her arm looped with his, "I don't think I'll ever be ready for this chapter, even if we're already partway through it, but for you I'll gladly try." Her father finished, a sad smile on his face. She unhooked her arm from his to wrap it around him; three generations of Utoniums being pulled into a hug. Landon gurgling, his little hand reaching out to pat his grandfather's cheek.

"I love you."

"As do I." Her father's eyes crinkled as he smiled. He gently nudged for her to advance down the hill, her sisters and Robin no longer in sight. Where had they disappeared to? Instead of racing on down the hill to find them, she and her father leisurely strolled down to the docks. Albeit her sisters and Robin could not be found, her father had no issues guiding her. Did they all know something she didn't? She doesn't like to admit it but Blossom is not a fan of being out of the loop. Leading her through the maze that was the marina, her father stopped in front of a sleek white private yacht.

Uh, was her father going through a mid-life crisis again? A second half-life crisis? Except this time he made the Profship instead of the Profmobile? Gently, he guided them towards the side of the boat where you could enter onto the yacht. Either he spent a lot of money on this boat or they were trespassing... She'd be a hypocrite if she told Brick not to get arrested prior to their wedding and then she, her father, and the baby all end up in handcuffs.

To be fair, he'd probably be okay with their son having a rap sheet before his first birthday... Babe, gotta start 'em young. That way by the time they're old enough they'd never get caught. Or something along those lines.

Her father slowly made his way onto the yacht, her assisting him - either in a very expensive second half-life crisis or as an accessory to trespassing. He offered to hold Landon while she climbed aboard but she opted to hover onto the deck instead – a quiet, subtle, less likely to be caught option. Before they could take a single step, she heard the high pitched voice of a certain demonic entity.

"Blossom my darling, so loovey to seeeee you!" In a puff of red smoke, HIM appeared before her, a pair of Prada sunglasses perched on its nose. Paired with thigh high leather boots and a leather jacket, HIM stood before them in all its flamboyant glory. "Oh my darling, I loove this baby. This beautiful, beea-u-ti-ful baby." HIM enunciated. "But you already kneew that. My, my John, you look as lovely as eeveer." What in the name of Liberty Bell is going on? HIM smiled to her and clapped its large, lobster claws twice. Her suitcase and her carry on bag appearing in a puff of red smoke beside them. Why did her bags look to be packed?

"Oh drat! I forgot!" Clapping its claws once more, Landon's full sized baby bag appeared beside her things. Why did that look overly stuffed? "Ah maaarvelous! Your darling sisters and your neighbor with those beautiful eyes I'm going to steal headed downstairs mere moments ago. Right down those stairs and to the left. John dear, you have the option of which room you wish to reside in." Did HIM just wink at her dad? Should she cover Landon's eyes? He was too young to see HIM's strange way of greeting the Professor; licking him. She was too young to see the odd interaction. Maybe she- wait her dad had a room?

A red claw draped over her shoulder, directing her towards the stairs, "My love this will be stupendous truly. Ah, I'm already overjoyed. I really wished I could have taken you shopping for a bouquet but as you know demonic entities are quite busy this time of year. I think I billed more overtime this month than I have in the past thousand years. I am deeply, deeply sorry my dear. Hopefully this," HIM started with a flamboyant twirl of is claw, "will make up for my inability to assist you. I saw the flowers by the way, such a gorgeous bouquet but-" her ginger waves slipped through HIM's large red claws, "you know all about gorgeous things."

HIM's head turned over its shoulder to say something in her father's direction but stopped, the only thing behind them being the bags floating in the air. "Oh John's being coy and not coming along. Your father likes to tease me." HIM's voice all but sung.

Red claws once more played with her ginger locks. "One day I'm just going to cut your hair off for a wig and steal your friend's lovely blue eyes. I'd be quite the sight." A vivid red crossdressing demon with a ginger wig and robin egg blue eyes - yes, quite the sight.

(And the name of the color was unintentional but highly appreciated.)

She opened her mouth to say something but nothing came out. She tried once more but received the same result. "My love you needn't thank me. My future daughter-in-law deserves the best. Especially when she's marrying one of my ungrateful shits for a son." Well she wasn't expecting the angry voice to come out right then.

"Pardon me little one, let's just erase that shaaaall we?"

What the fuck is going on?! HIM stopped in front of an oak door, "This is where I leave you. But only for now at least. Time to find that darling vixen of a City Manager. She is splendid you know. We were swapping beauty tips earlier. There's a reason she's a bombshell at her age. But one never tells a lady's age." With a final wink, HIM disappeared in the same cloud of smoke it had appeared in.

"Landon, Mama's going crazy. Yup, I'm going to wake up on your aunt's floor from this strange dream any minute now and you need to have me institutionalized okay? Okay." She was on a yacht with HIM... And judging by the shift she just felt they were now making their way out of the marina. With a resigned sigh, Blossom threw open the oak door. Bubbles laid down on the middle of the bed that took up a decent amount of the room, typing something into her phone whilst chatting idly with Robin who sat on the cushioned window seat staring out the small bay window. Buttercup was nowhere to be seen but her voice could be heard from behind a door on the far wall adding to their conversation.

Covering her son's ears, Blossom demanded that someone tell her what the fuck was going on? Why was she apparently cruising on a boat when they had agreed to brunch? Glancing out the window, she watched as the marina began to drift away from her. She had no idea where they were even heading. A clue would be nice.

The door to wherever Buttercup had disappeared to opened revealing a bathroom and a certain white dress hung up on a hook. "Why is my wedding dress here?" Was that what was in the box?

The little shits she called 'sisters' and the equally just as little of a shit she called her 'best friend' all shared knowing smirks. Bubbles propped herself up on her elbows and shrugged. "A cute little getaway that will likely take longer than a brunch?" Did they expect her to be on this boat until she was needed at the courthouse? Or wherever Brick approved of.

She had Landon with her; Brick would have to go the weekend without seeing him and she couldn't do that to Brick.

She could always just fly them back to shore but she hated flying with Landon in her arms. She did it once and they went all of ten feet before she stopped. With a groan, she walked further into the room.

"Whose boat is this?" She asked, receiving three Mojo's' in response. Since when did Mojo have a yacht? Or any form of boating license?

"Well I came for brunch so... I'm going to get me some waffles..." Robin said, bouncing up from her seat. Bubbles and Buttercup following after her. Bubbles stopped in the doorway and held out her hand. Surrendering her hand to the youngest of the Utonium sisters, she let herself be lead down the hallway. She was on a ship that wasn't a cruise liner with a hallway! A hallway! She passed a few doors before she was led back to the stairwell leading up to the bow of the ship. According to Robin's animated ravings, brunch would be held on the bow overlooking the water. As she took her first step, she heard a familiar laugh; a laugh that made Landon squeal with joy. What was he doing here too?

Mojo's yacht, right.

Leaving the steps, she noticed three males seated on a cushioned bench running along the railing of the bow - one of said males wearing his signature backwards red baseball cap.

Turning his head from whatever his youngest brother had said, their eyes locked. Landon began to make grabby hands towards his father who gladly held his arms out to him. Once their son was safely in his arms, he sent her a wink turning back to whatever it was the three were talking about.

He was up to something and she was going to find out what.

"I just loveee that little chubby darling." HIM drawled, appearing once more in a puff of smoke. Most dramatic demon she had ever met.

(It wasn't saying much seeing as she's only met one demon.)

"I hope you enjoy the yacht. Once everything is done with, Mojo and I want you to relax abroad the S.S. Mayhem." Clapping its claws, a large food spread appeared on the tables. She was starting to sound like a broken record but what the actual fuck is going on? And what did HIM mean by when everything is done?

Dropping onto the bench beside Brick, she quietly asked if she could speak with him. Alone.

When tucked into the bedroom with the oak door, away from their whole family who happened to be on the yacht and Landon safely under the care of Miss Bellum and Miss Keane who also just so happened to be on the yacht for whatever reason, Blossom finally let it all out.

"What the actual fuck is going on? Last thing you said to me was how you didn't want to get married in a courthouse. Then I find out you _died_ and you wouldn't answer your fucking phone and now I'm on a boat. Why am I on a boat?"

Sending her a small smile, he pulled her down to sit on the bed beside him, "Okay so the death thing is Butch's fault. One minute I'm standing there, looking down at my phone about to text you back and the next - well technically ten minutes later - I'm waking up on HIM's couch. Butch refuses to admit what happened no matter how many times I ask and Boomer doesn't remember much."

He didn't know how he died? Boomer didn't know how his brother died? Why was Butch not being forthcoming? Shouldn't someone be granted the knowledge of what caused them to kick the bucket?

"And to the other two. Bellum had to literally sneak me into City Hall to make sure no one saw me entering or exiting the property. Later, since it was after hours was able to sneak in on my own without much worry. Sneaking into a courthouse to get married during the middle of the day with court officers patrolling everywhere didn't sound all that great, or fair to you." He leaned back, using his hands to prop himself up on the comforter. "Your dad happened to be walking into the room while I was looking up other places we could possibly hold the ceremony and somehow Bubbles found out, which meant basically everyone found out within the hour. Your family thought I was trying to do something romantic for you but meanwhile I was trying to find someplace safe for me. But it got brownie points with your dad, which I needed after impregnating one of his daughters. Butch ripped into me for a week about this before Mojo offered the yacht he bought two months ago. Said we could sail out into international waters.

"Then everyone somehow got involved, even though I strictly said not to and it kind of escalated from there."

Everyone was in on this? Everyone she cared about was trying to make their wedding perfect?

"We could go to the courthouse, or anywhere honestly where my brothers aren't if you don't want this. I wanted to tell you but a few nights ago Buttercup came up with a scheme to trick you into getting onto the yacht. She seemed very adamant in seeing it through to the end. Your sister can be intimidating when she wants to be."

She never thought of getting married on a boat before. She wrapped her arms around his waist and smiled, "As long as you have no more secrets about this then I guess I can marry you here."

She watched as he bit his bottom lip, toying with bringing up something. What? What could he still possibly be hiding? He looked around the room at anything except her before letting out an exasperated sigh. Finally crimson eyes turned to pierce hers. "You know that cottage you've had saved to your favorites. Well, we know the owner, pretty well if I may add, and she's willing to give us the place free of charge. We'd really just need to pay for utilities."

Someone was willing to just give them a house? The same house she desperately wanted to call home? That only happened in the movies. "She created a fake account to pretend to raise money for us on that link Buttercup sent. Buttercup was able to figure out who created the page and I may have confronted her about it. She admitted she wished to make up for a rather ill-tempered tantrum she had a few years back. Start off with a clean slate before she reverted to her criminal ways." No it wasn't, could it?

"Said if we wanted the house, we could have it. The real estate agent's on her payroll - though to be honest so is half the city - which is how she knew you were interested." Her real estate agent was part of the Morebucks criminal empire?! How did her background search not bring that up?! Maybe she should have sprung for the more advanced package.

"Princess bought us a house?"

"More like she's trying to buy her way out of being a bitch to you for years before she goes back to being a bitch but yeah, she bought a house in which she's willing to sign over the deed."

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She could hear the sound of the shower going as she approached the room Brick and his brothers commandeered for the night.

Butch's voice rang in her head as he opened the door. _Bloss you know you can't see the groom before the wedding and he can't see you. Hence why you're stuck bunking with your sisters and he's happily staying us for the night._ He opened his mouth to say something, probably to reiterate an earlier statement when she heard the shower going and little squeals coming from behind the door. Boomer laid on his bed swiping left and right on his phone. "Landon seems to still be just as fascinated with showers as he was the first time."

He throws a fit if you try to give him a bath. Screaming wails you can hear down the block, batting of your hands if they come near him, more water ending up everywhere else except the tub. It's a mess.

Opening the door to the bathroom with a gentle knock, she took in Landon curled into her fiance chest under the water as Brick tipped Landon's head back to clean the baby shampoo from his hair. "This is easier with two people." Brick joked as Landon giggled to himself as the water ran down the back of his head. "I've never seen someone so tiny yet so happy to get cleaned up. Don't kids like to be messy. Isn't that a staple."

Grabbing the fluffy, elephant towel (the hood was so cute she had to buy it!) from it's spot beside the sink she reached out to take her now squeaky clean ball of joy from Brick to dry him off. He kicked his legs happily as he babbled to her once the hand off had been a success. The moment he's pink eyes landed on the towel he sent her a smile, proudly displaying his two whole teeth. The next moment her baby was a ball of flames in her hand.

"Our baby's on fire!" Brick cheered, "That's so cool...

"Brick!"

"Oh my god, our baby's on fire!" Brick grabbed Landon from her hands and placed him under the shower but the flames didn't quell. "He's literally on fire and the water isn't doing anything!"

Would a fire extinguisher work if the water hadn't? "Give me a second!" She raced out of the bathroom, paying no heed to the door left fully ajar or Brick's flustered plea of 'babe!' There had to be a fire extinguisher somewhere, she saw one on her way- the hall!

She all but flew through the hall, ending up near the room she was assigned to for the night and broke the glass. Her baby was on fire! When she returned, Butch and Boomer were blocking the door to the bathroom. She had to force her way through with her elbows. Brick now had a towel wrapped precariously around his hips but Landon kicked his legs happily in his father's extended arms, still engulfed in flames.

"That is fucking rad." Butch whispered to her as she passed, "Terrifying but still fucking rad."

How did one spray their baby with a fire extinguisher? Was there a guide on how to make sure the pressure didn't hurt him? Screw it, her baby was on fire and the flames seemed to be unfazed by the water. There was a decent chance the same outcome would be found by use of the fire extinguisher. Simultaneously, as she pulled the pin, the flames extinguished themselves. Her baby smiling at her once more.

"Fuck." his legs kicked in time to a beat in his head, "Fuck."

"Is he-" Butch started, gesturing out to her son repeating the word over and over.

"Butch have I told you how much I hate you." Brick groaned.

At least her baby was talking before Janet's. Suck it Janet.

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She couldn't have been any more happy than she was next the morning. She woke up and her sisters were a mess of tears and feigning apathy and her dad holding her son was they wore matching black bow ties. Even when HIM donned in a black dressing gown lined with black feathers stormed through the door to her room producing the bouquet of lavender calla lilies she chose.

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In the history of the world, no wedding could have looked more perfect than this one. One of the closest women she had to a mother standing before her officiating. (The closest thing she had to a grandfather had wanted to do it but he would become too distracted to read what they had written out.) The most important people in their lives had congregated around the bow of the ship; the sun setting causing an array of oranges, reds, and pinks to dance across the clear blue water and the shoreline creating the backdrop to an aesthetically perfect evening.

She leaned into the male standing beside her, tugging on the sleeve of his button up gently. As quiet as possible, ensuring only his ears would pick up on what was about to be said, she asked "You still like me right? I mean _like_ like not that measly single like."

One of his eyebrows peaked in question, but she continued keeping her eyes trained on the woman before them. She kept her face as neutral as she could, "I'm serious. You still like like me and not just like me because of Landon right?" All thirteen of their guests turned their gaze towards Brick as he threw his head back and laughed. Landon gurgling out a laugh along with his father. Miss Bellum's eyes drifted between the two of them silently asking if everything was alright.

"Sorry, sorry please continue." He said, placing the back of his hand over his mouth in a vain attempt to stop himself from laughing once more.

He winced slightly as she subtly stepped on his left foot. Serves him right for laughing at her while she was internally panicking. What if he truly didn't want to do this anymore? What if had been what he actually meant when he said he didn't want to get married in the courthouse but saw her face and took pity on her? Instead of ending it, he said he simply wanted a change of venue. Did he really want to spend the rest of the unforeseeable future stuck with her at his side?

Turning to face her, he sent her a grin she knew meant he was up to no good.

Whispering at the same volume she had, he said, "Babe, I wanted to marry you when I thought you were dying."

"Yes, but my dying means the marriage would only last for a brief period. My being healthy means a lifetime of being stuck with me." She ignored pointing out he hadn't even planned on marrying her, he just blurted it out on accident. Again, probably just taking pity on the poor idiot he knocked up.

He turned to look at her and she begrudgingly locked eyes with him, might as well put on a brave face as he did this.

"Hence why I'm marrying you." He sent her a small smile as Miss Bellum cleared her throat.

"I'm almost done, five minutes tops. Now you two can stop whispering to each other and let me finish."

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Light filtered in through the sheer white curtains. Huh, morning already? Sitting up, the silk sheets that covered her slipped slightly. Those weren't her sheets, they didn't have- right. Her left hand stretched out to adjust the sheets when a glint of light came from her hand, a golden band situated on her left ring finger abutting her engagement ring. With a soft smile, she let herself slip back under the sheets. Landon hadn't cried for her yet - if he was asleep, she could relax for a few minutes. Absentmindedly, her thumb traced the underside of the new band. Beside her, her fiance - no, her _husband_ groaned into his pillow. Her fingers gliding over the bare expanse of his back, "Good morning."

"No," he grumbled, burying his face further into the pillow, "not morning, sleep."

"Someone had fun last night."

"No." he groaned, grabbing his pillow and tossing it over his head, "Sleep." He dragged the word out, muttering something incoherent after.

"But I want breakfast."

He grumbled something else, his arm reaching out to grab her waist, tugging her closer to him. "Babe, it's basically still night." Not even close. "Bedtime."

She left out a low chuckle, shifting herself slightly along herself to huddle into him. "I guess we can sleep a little longer, Landon hasn't woken up yet." Brick's head turned to face her, his one visible crimson eye opening slowly.

"Good morning, wife."

"Good night, husband." She watched a small, lazy smile stretch across his lips before he dropped his head back into the pillow. Her finger traced down his jawline running along the stubble. Her finger stilled near her chin, something still gnawing at her.

"Brick?" She whispered garnering a groan in response. "Did you mean it when you said you thought yourself incapable of love?"

"Babe, it's seven fif-"

"Brick." Her voice even softer.

Releasing a long breath, Brick propped himself up onto his elbows. "Not really part of my initial programming."

"Brick."

His eyes closed for a few moments as he thought, "Like I said I was created with very little positive emotions. Love, as in actual romantic love for a human being did not initially seem feasible. Love for destruction, love for chaos on the other hand yes. But not love in the sense you would think of when the word 'love' is used. Hell, not even in the fraternal way. Just thought myself incapable of feeling it." He answered with a halfhearted shrug.

"Not even yourself?" He raised an eyebrow at her question but ultimately shook his head no. She couldn't help the downturn of her lips. Not even himself.

"It never really phased me." He muttered nonchalantly. "Like how I never thought I'd find joy in a life not fulfilling what I was designed to do." He mumbles the last part, more than likely hoping she wouldn't over hear. "But it's fine. I liked myself enough. I - I'm not very good at describing it. I couldn't feel love but it was fine. I couldn't feel most emotions anyway. My brothers were the same. Aside from the adrenaline that we felt from wrecking havoc and the sheer hatred a pint-sized trio of miscreants held for you and your sisters, my brothers and I got used to being, for lack of a better word, numb.

"Trust me babe, it's fine. I didn't feel much as a kid so I never understood what all the hype about _feeling things_ was growing up. People had fears, they displayed sadness, they showed happiness. We never really understood why humans had any type of emotions. Like I said the only time we felt anything remotely akin to the joy or happiness we are able to feel now was when I was blowing something up or picking a fight with you." He bit his lip before muttering, "And only you."

"Do you feel love now?" she asked quietly, her fingertips grazing feather-light as she dragged them from his jaw up into his hair line. His eyes drooped languidly as he leaned into her touch.

One of his hands peaked out from under the pillows and the bedding to lace with her free one. "Honestly, for two people only. One of which happens to presently be laying beside me. The other is half her. So I guess I only half love him." Brick let out a low chuckle, he directed his focus towards the small window of the room. Trying in vain to let the conversation die down.

Did he still not love himself?

"Relax, that's all a person really needs."

She rolled over, the cool sheet sliding down her back as her body hovered over his as she looked him determinedly in the eyes. "Fine then, if that's enough for you then the two of us will love you endlessly."

Instead of saying anything, Brick's head cocked to the side in confusion. His eyes slowly widening as the raced down to stare at her exposed midriff. "Is that your way of saying you're-" his voice trailed off. _That she was what?_ His warm hands were against her cool skin as he gently pressed into the flesh there. "You know." he muttered.

It took a moment for her to realize what he was implying. "Brick, I'm not pregnant. I meant Landon and I. You just brought him up, thought he was still in context." He nodded slowly but his eyes didn't stray from where he hands lay. "You really do need to go back to sleep." she chuckled softly.

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(She totally was.)

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 **I would say sorry not sorry but I am a little sorry for this. I don't even know what happened. I just kept going when I should have stopped. I tried to do a scene where Brick and Blossom were screaming at each other and he explained that he only loved one thing and that was her but it wasn't working out so I cut it... so that's why Blossom brings it up later but I cut that part so oops. To be honest, I should have cut more things. I had a 10,198 word version and this one but fuck it, I went with this one instead.**

 **The names of the robbers are from four wonderful heist films involving the theft of jewels/gold. Naturally, I made Clooney the ringleader because honestly his movie is hands down the best heist film of all time and I will fight anyone who disagrees with me. Even if The filme Clooney is from focuses more on the theft of money than the jewels, it still involves jewels being stolen.**

 **Also do you guys like original pairings or Buttercup with Boomer and Bubs with Butch? I'm trying to branch out more, even though the Reds have been a favorite of mine since before I even knew what a ship was. I wanted to know what other people liked. And if I ever thought to continue this attempt at story telling where to go with it.**


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